C.

1 Unit 1: The Human Ideal

Overview
In this unit, students will read a variety of religious, legal, historical, cultural, artistic, and
literary texts (primary and secondary) from several civilizations from the Ancient, Classical,
Medieval, (Early) Modern, and Contemporary Eras in order to define the human ideal for
each cultural study and determine how this ideal developed and changed across cultures
and regions over time. Students should develop an understanding of how contemporary
definitions of the human ideal were rooted in ideals of the past, stemming all the way back
to the Ancient Era. Students should be able to identify the characteristics of pragmatic and
idealistic philosophies and give cultural examples. They should also be able to identify and
give characteristics of archetypal heroes/heroines for several different cultures and be able
to cite specific cultural works to provide evidence of those definitions and characteristics.
Teachers should highlight approximately 4-6 cultures or regions such as China, Japan, Russia,
India, Babylonia, Sumer, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Africa, Greece, Rome, Mexico, South
America, Native America, North America, Great Britain, France, Spain, Eastern Europe, and
Scandinavia. Teachers are encouraged to periodically touch back to these cultures or
regions in future units. By the end of the course, students should have examined at least
one document from each of the suggested regions in order to develop a global perspective.

Generalizations
1. The analysis of a variety of religious, legal, historical, cultural, artistic, and literary texts
(primary and secondary) can illuminate a cultures definition(s) of the human ideal.
2. Contemporary Era definitions of the human ideal have roots stemming from the
Ancient Era while at the same time have changed and modified over the ages.
3. Philosophy is the manifestation of humanitys desire to understand life.
4. There are fundamental differences in pragmatic and idealistic philosophies.
5. Cultures manifest their pragmatic and idealistic philosophies through religious,
philosophical, literary, cultural, and artistic texts.
6. The archetypal hero/heroine appears in all major cultures and religions throughout time.
7. The characteristics of the archetypal hero/heroine are portrayed through religious,
philosophical, literary, cultural, and artistic texts.

Essential Questions
1. Based on a variety of texts, how does this culture define the human ideal?
2. How might this culture have provided roots for Contemporary Era definitions of the
human ideal?
3. How do a cultures religious and/or philosophical texts demonstrate their desire to
understand life and the process of living?
4. What are the fundamental differences in pragmatic and idealistic philosophies?
5. How does this culture manifest its pragmatic/idealistic philosophies?
6. What are the similarities and differences among the philosophies of several different
cultures?
7. What are the characteristics of the archetypal (universal) hero?
8. How is this archetypal hero manifested in the texts of this culture?
9. What are the similarities and differences in the heroes of several different cultures?

World Humanities, Unit 1

Possible Regions or Cultures

Africa
Arabia
Australia
Babylonia
Caribbean
Central Europe
China

Eastern Europe
Egypt
France
Great Britain
Greece
India
Japan

Mesopotamia
Mexico
Middle East
Native America
North America
Persia
Rome

Russia
Scandinavia
South America
South Asia
Spain
Sumer

Possible Topics
Adam
Beowulf
Buddha
Buddhism
Confucianism
Confucius
Don Quixote
Enlightenment
Genji
Gilgamesh

Goemon
Heracles
Hinduism
Islam
Jesus
Judaism
King Arthur
Krishna
Laozi
Moses

Muhammad
Odysseus/Ulysses
Perseus
Ramses
Rationalism
Robin Hood
Romulus & Remus
Siddhartha
Taoism

Possible Texts (see Resources for links)

Analects

Flood Myths

Sculptures

Artistic Representations

Iliad

Siddhartha

Beowulf

Ivanhoe

Tale of Genji

Bhartrihari verses

Mahabharata

Tao Te Ching

Bible

Mandate of Heaven

The Ethics

Cave paintings

Odyssey

Upanishads

Creation Myths

Other Myths

Vedas

Don Quixote

Pottery decorations

Enuma Elish

Precepts of Ptah-Hotep

Epic of Gilgamesh

Quran

World Humanities, Unit 1

Goals
What do students need to KNOW?

What do students need to be able to DO?

How 4-6 cultures define the human ideal

Define the human ideal for 4-6 cultures

How contemporary definitions of the human

ideal are a product of prior cultures stemming
back to the Ancient Era

Trace the development of contemporary

definitions of the human ideal back to the
Ancient Era

That philosophy is the manifestation of

humanitys desire to understand life

Explain how philosophy is the manifestation of

humanitys desire to understand life

The differences in pragmatic and idealistic

philosophies

Compare and contrast pragmatic and idealistic

philosophies

Examples of pragmatic and idealistic

philosophies

Explain the pragmatic and idealistic

philosophies of different cultures

Similarities and differences in the philosophies

of different cultures

Compare and contrast the philosophies of

different cultures

How different cultures manifest their pragmatic

and/or idealistic philosophies through a variety
of texts

Analyze how different cultures manifest their

pragmatic and/or idealistic philosophies
through a variety of texts

The characteristics of the archetypal

(universal) hero

Identify the characteristics of the archetypal

(universal) hero

How the archetypal hero is portrayed through a

variety of texts for different cultures

Analyze how the archetypal hero is portrayed

through a variety of texts for different cultures

Similarities and differences in the archetypal

heroes of different cultures

Compare and contrast the archetypal heroes of

different cultures

I Can Statements

I Can give and textually support the definition of the human ideal for 4-6 cultures.
I Can trace the development of contemporary definitions of the human ideal back to the
Ancient Era.

I Can explain how philosophy is the manifestation of humanitys desire to understand life.

I Can compare and contrast pragmatic and idealistic philosophies.

I Can explain the pragmatic and idealistic philosophies of different cultures.

I Can compare and contrast the philosophies of different cultures.

I Can analyze how different cultures manifest their pragmatic and/or idealistic philosophies
through a variety of texts.
I Can identify the characteristics of the archetypal (universal) hero.
I Can analyze how the archetypal hero is portrayed through a variety of texts for different
cultures.
I Can compare and contrast the archetypal heroes of different cultures.

Course Essential Standards

C.1 Understand the ways in
which societies and cultures
have expressed the human
ideal.

C.1.1 Compare the various ways in which pragmatic and idealistic philosophies have
addressed humanitys desire to understand life and the process of living.
C.1.2 Explain how the use of heroes and heroism in the arts and literature impacts
cultural understanding of the human ideal.

Common Core Standards for Literacy in History and Social Studies

READING

WRITING

CMS CCSS Power Standards:

CMS CCSS Power Standards:

R.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of

primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained
from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

W.11-12.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific

content.

R.11-12.10 Read and comprehend history/social studies texts

in the grade 11-CCR text complexity band independently and
proficiently.

W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the

narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes.

Additional Reading Standards:

Additional Writing Standards:

R.11-12.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a

primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary
that makes clear the relationships among the key details and
ideas.

W.11-12.3 not applicable as a separate requirement

R.11-12.3. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events

and determine which explanation best accords with textual
evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters
uncertain.
R.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses
and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text
(e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
R.11-12.5. Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is
structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text contribute to the whole.
R.11-12.6 Evaluate authors differing points of view on the
same historical event or issue by assessing the authors claims,
reasoning, and evidence.
R.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address
a question or solve a problem.
R.11-12.8 Evaluate an authors premises, claims, and evidence
by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
R.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both
primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an
idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
W.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach,
focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific
purpose and audience.
W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products in
response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a self-generated
question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry
when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.
W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source
in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of
ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source
and following a standard format for citation.
W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
W.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time
for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.

Assessment Options:
W1- Literacy Common Core Power Standard: Writing Arguments

After reading a variety of texts, write ____ that argues your position on ____. Support your
position with evidence from your research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views, and
give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.
o

Example: After reading a variety of texts, write an essay that argues your position
on whether pragmatic or idealistic philosophies have had the greatest global
cultural impact over time. Support your position with evidence from your
research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views, and give examples from past
or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Example: After reading a variety of texts, write an essay that argues your position
on the literary hero who is the greatest representative of the archetypal hero (or
the one who deviates most from the definition of an archetypal hero while still
being considered a hero). Support your position with evidence from your
research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views, and give examples from past
or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Example: After reading a variety of texts, write an essay that argues your position
on the best definition of a global human ideal, one that takes into consideration
views from around the globe over time. Support your position with evidence from
your research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views, and give examples from
past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

[QUESTION] After reading a variety of texts, write ____ that addresses the question, and
support your position with evidence from the texts. Be sure to acknowledge competing
views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your
position.
o

Example: Have pragmatic or idealistic philosophies had the greatest global

cultural impact over time? After reading a variety of texts, write an essay that
addresses the question, and support your position with evidence from the texts.
Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give examples from past or current
events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.

Example: Which literary hero is the greatest representative of a global archetypal

hero? (OR: Which literary hero deviates most from the definition of an archetypal
hero?) After reading a variety of texts, write an essay that addresses the question,
and support your position with evidence from the texts. Be sure to acknowledge
competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate
and clarify your position.

Example: What is the best definition of a global human ideal, taking into
consideration views from around the globe over time? After reading a variety of
texts, write an essay that addresses the question, and support your position with
evidence from the texts. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give
examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your
position.

W2- Literacy Common Core Power Standard: Writing Informative Texts

After reading a variety of texts, write a ____ that defines ____ and explains ____. Support
your discussion with evidence from your research. What conclusions or implications can
you draw?
o

Example: After analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines the
human ideal and explains how civilizations from around the world over time
defined it through their various writings and artistic representations. Support your
discussion with evidence from your research. What conclusions or implications
can you draw?

Example: After analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines the
archetypal hero and explains how civilizations from around the world over time
defined it through their various writings and artistic representations. Support your
discussion with evidence from your research. What conclusions or implications
can you draw?

Example: After analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines pragmatic
and idealistic philosophies and explains how civilizations from around the world
over time exemplify them through their various writings and artistic
representations. Support your discussion with evidence from your research. What
conclusions or implications can you draw?

[QUESTION] After reading a variety of texts, write ____ that defines ____ and explains ____.
Support your discussion with evidence from the texts. What conclusions or implications
can you draw?

o Example: How have civilizations from around the world over time created a
definition of the human ideal through their various writings and artistic
representations? After analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines the
human ideal and explains how civilizations from around the world over time
defined it through their various writings and artistic representations. Support your
discussion with evidence from the texts. What conclusions or implications can you
draw?

o Example: How have civilizations from around the world over time created the
archetypal hero through their various writings and artistic representations? After
analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines the archetypal hero and
explains how civilizations from around the world over time defined it through their
various writings and artistic representations. Support your discussion with
evidence from the texts. What conclusions or implications can you draw?

o Example: How have civilizations from around the world over time created
pragmatic and idealistic philosophies through their various writings and artistic
representations? After analyzing a variety of texts, write an essay that defines
pragmatic and idealistic philosophies and explains how civilizations from around
the world over time created them through their various writings and artistic
representations. Support your discussion with evidence from the texts. What
conclusions or implications can you draw?

R1/R10- Literacy Common Core Power Standards: Reading Closely Over Time with a
Variety of Grade-Level Texts

Historical texts (primary and secondary)

Religious texts
Legal texts
Philosophical texts

Literary texts
Artistic representations
Musical representations
Language study

Suggested Resources for C.1.1:

http://www.parvez-video.com/idealism_theory.asp basic description of Idealism

http://www.iep.utm.edu/pragmati/ Internet encyclopedia of philosophy definition
of pragmatism
Confucian Analects Full Text: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/conf1.htm
The Tao te Ching by Lao Tzu Full Text:
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html
Hindu sacred text The Upanishads Full Text: http://www.sacredtexts.com/hin/sbe01/index.htm
The Ethics by Benedict Spinoza Full Text: http://www.fullbooks.com/TheEthics.html
Article on Kantian Moral Reasoning: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/
History of Philosophy: http://www.historyofphilosophy.net/
History of Western Philosophy: http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/index.htm
Sacred Texts Archive (world religions/philosophies, history, literature, etc):
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm
Map of the History of Religion: http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-ofreligion.html

Suggested Resources for C.1.2:

http://www.tatsbox.com/hero scholarly research on archetypal heroes with
accompanying PowerPoint and links to YouTube videos about heroes
Bhartrihari verses:
http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_9/writings_prose_
and_poems/bhartriharis_verses.htm
Achilles in The Iliad by Homer Full Text:
http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.1.i.html
Beowulf Full Text: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AnoBeow.html
Sir Walter Scotts Ivanhoe where Robin Hood Locksley makes his first literary
appearance Full Text: http://www.online-literature.com/walter_scott/ivanhoe/
Tale of Genji Full Text: http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/Genji/00000010.htm
Tale of Genji summary and teaching resources: http://www.taleofgenji.org/
Rank, Otto. The Myth of the Birth of the Hero: A Psychological Explanation of
Myth. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004.
Campbell, Joseph. Myths to Live By. Penguin, 1993.
Levi-Strauss, Claude. Myth and Meaning: Cracking the Code of Culture.
Schocken, 1995.
Joseph Campbell foundation with full text links to all his works, audio lectures for
download, etc. http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php

The Power of Myth video series with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers: Episode I,
the Hero's Journey http://www.mevio.com/episode/92858/the-power-of-mythwith-joseph-cambell
Artistic Representations: http://www.artsmia.org/world-myths/
Myths of the World: http://www.pantheon.org/